Norfolk Doesn't

Want Land Laws

Norfolk Island Council, which has shown since its election early this year that it has little sympathy for what it calls local bureaucracy and the making of regulations, had something typical to say in No vember when the Administration presented it with the draft of an ordinance intended to control land subdivisions. r!E Administrator, Mr, Leydin, told the Council that under the present regulations buyers could draw a plan cutting up their land into as many portions as they thought fit and sell it —and there was no control on minimum sizes or drainage. Subdivisions which appeared reasonable on paper might be quite impracticable on the site and it was therefore proposed to re quire subdividers of land to submit their plans for approval.

The Council discussed this, and on the motion of councillors S. E.

Nobbs and W. S. Newbald, “strongly protested against this attempt to place further restrictions on land sales at this stage of depressed land values, resulting in large measure from the failure of the present form of government.” The council also said the ordinance was premature, in no way assisted the island’s pro gress, and that the island’s policy should be to encourage private enterprise through freedom from such regulations.

Norfolk Holds A Show

Norfolk Island in late October revived its annual show, and held its first since 1956. 180 exhibitors showed 1,200 exhibits, and at right is part of the big crowd in Rawson Hall, which inspected the floral table.

Photo: Raymond Hoare